Dipping and distributing apparatus



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oct. 2s, 1941.V

E. S. KILLIAN DIPPING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1939 3Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 28, 1941. E, s, KlLLlAN I* v l 2,260,854

DIPPING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1959 3 sheets-sheet 2INVENT OR. EDWARD .iK/HAN WMM ATTORNEY5 Oct. 2s, 1941. n

E. s. K|| 1 1 AN f DIPPING AND DISTRIBUTING' APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18,1939 s Sheng-sheet s [I if INVENTOR.

w ma] ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 28, 1941 y .5; .r' x i. il :fm g UNITED fSTATES PAT-.ENT QFFICE c .l

DIPPING AND "DISTRIBUT'ING APPARATS Edward kSfKillian, Akron,Ohio,:assig`nor`to Frank 1B. fKillian & Company, Akron,` jo-hio,apartnership composed of Frank '-B.-Killian, James y f'kIyrrell,trustee, and P. H.Stevens Application November 1s, i939,lseriiNoaotgtsg(Cl. 18e-24) 'suitableli'quid atja'jvulc'aniiing temperature, after6`Claims.

'This invention relates to the `art of making thinv dipped rubberarticles and is particularly concerned with apparatus for uselin makingsuch `articles from rubber solutions ordispersions, par-` ticularlylatex compounds.

The present invention relatesl to improvements 'in' apparatus of thegeneral type illustrated in /United States Patent No. 2,128,827, issuedApril 27, 1938, and is directed particularly to new and 'improved meansfor attaching Vdipping forms to an endless conveyor and to new andimproved means for controlling the angularity of those forms atdifferent stations along the line of travel `of the conveyor. I

In the ldrawings accompanying and forming a part'of this specication,and in which one ernbodiment'of Ithe present invention is disclosed,

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a complete automatic machine for makingthin dipped Varticles from rubber solutions or dispersions such as latexcompounds;

Figure '2 is a fragmentary side elevational View, partly in section, ofthe apparatus of Fig. 1, taken at a dipping station;

-Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse view, partly in section, taken on lines 4-4 ofFig. 2;

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, fragmentary top'plan and sidelelevational views of the endless conveyor.

' As is indicated in Fig. 1, an endless conveyor moves along a pathdefined by wheels A located at each end 'of the machine, one of whichserves to propel the conveyor. As is illustrated in more detail in Figs.2, 3 and 4, a plurality of forms are attached to this conveyor and theseforms are moved pasta plurality of stations along the line of travelofthe conveyor, including a form-cleaning station B, one or more dippingstations C, one or more drying stations D, a bead rolling station E, acuring station F, a vulcanizing station G, a drying station H, a dustingstation I, and a takeoi station J. At the form-cleaning station B,

the forms are washed and brushed to remove foreign material therefrom.At the dipping station, or stations, C the forms are dipped into asolution or dispersion of rubber, such as a latex compound containingaccelerators, vulcanizers and the like. At the drying station, orstations, D the lms of rubber on the forms are partially dried andfurther drying and curing is performed at station F. At station E beadsare rolled on the articles on the forms. At station G the illms arewhich thefrlms 4var'edr'ed atstation `I-I, dusted at *station'I'Lari-dremoved from Jthe forms at station-rt- 1l 'f lIn Figs. Jv2, 3 ande the`conveyor Iis shown fas consisting-'of' anendless chain I composed ofvlinks t2and (js'ee Figs 5 a'nd '6) lalternately connected together bypins Each linkf-2 has lateral exvten-sions `5 to which'are attachedthin, bendable, flexibljefarms 6, which'are'h'ere shown as beingthifnstrips'of spring steel. At th'e other end of eacharrn 6 isattacheda form mounting 'Iwhich hasJabifurcated' end to receive the endof the -arm li and a bentshoulder pin 8 Awhich passes thru the Varm f6-fand Vsaid bifurcated'endv to hold the two in :assembled position. Themounting I has a cylindrical -p'art Whichrextends'thru acorrespondin'fgly shapedv axial hole in the plug 9 of form "-I-I'I.Anut'on said pin within'form Il) serves to hold 'the plug@ and form I0on'themo'unting I for rotational movement relative thereto.l Y Theconveyor I Vis moved along a U-shaped channel 'I2 withthe'projections'g5 of the links resting on the 4rt'op edges ofthe lchannel'andwith-thecentralpar'ts of the linksresting on an upstanding memberzIBdisposed centrally in the Ushapd "channel 12. iA longitudinallyextending member lllsu'pport'ed above the conveyor bears on the topsv'o'fI'L-he links of the conveyor I and serves ltok'eep the conveyor inits channel.`

Stationary rails I5 are disposed along opposite j'lsides of theconveyorrI to engage with plugs 9 Y'o'f form I0.*` As is indicated in Fig. 2,these rails I5 may be depressed at 'dierent places, *asis illustratedrat I5a,`and elevated at otherplaces, as is in'dicatedat I5b.Furthermore, these rails y'I5 are curved-downwardly, as at` I5c adjacentto the vends o'faidipping tank I6. It will be `'understood that 'railsI5 extend vfor substantially the full lengthr of the conveyor, except atstations ysuch 'asdipping' and vulcanizing sta-v tions-and 4'any otherplaces where the forms are to be 'dipped into a liquid, and that evenlat such placesthe r'ai'ls'IS may be used if the forms are to yberotatedfat such places. Portions I5d` of rails |15 which are locatedbetween the 'ends of a tank *may be used when the forms vare vto berotated while they yare moving thru liquid in the tank. Theseportionsmay be on'iitted when the forms ,are not to rotate while in the tank.

Stationary guides I1 are disposed along the travel of the conveyor I andextend from a point in front of a dipping tank across the latter to la4point beyond its far end. These guides I1 are vulcanized by beingdipped into Water or other supported by the cross bars I8 which also support rails I5 and which are themselves supported by the framework of themachine. At the entering side of the tank or tanks I6 guides II aredisposed to engage over the inturned ends of bent hooks on pins 8, sothat as the conveyor moves forwardly and these hooks engage under guidesI1 the forms will be pulled downwardly into the tank. These guides I1are bent inwardly and turned on edge between the ends of the tank sothat forms may be pulled down to a vertical or substantially verticalposition in the tank. Near the discharge end of tank or tanks I6 theguides II are bent outwardly and upwardly so that the forms are returnedtoward a horizontal position, the guides II are then bent inwardly sothat the bent hooks of pins 8 move out of engagement with the guidesshortly after the plugs 9 engage the upwardly inclined parts I5c ofrails I5.

Between dipping tanks I6, and at such other places along the line oftravel the conveyor I as may be necessary or desirable, slides 20 aredisposed to bear on the top surface of spring arm 6. These slides 20 maybe carried by adjusting screws 2l supported by one or more plates- 22carried by arms 23 which extend outwardly beyond the ends of forms I anddownwardly to posts 24 which support the channel I2 and cross bars I8.By adjusting the screws 2| the slides 20 may exert more or less pressureon spring arms 6. When the pressure so exerted is sufciently high, thesearms may be bent down and the forms moved into a position where theclosed end of form I0 is above the plug 9, or less pressure may be usedwhere the rails are elevated as at Ib. Where it is desirable that theclosed end of form I0 should be below plug 9, the rails I5 may bedepressed as shown at I5a and the screws 2| adjusted to permit thespring arms 6 to bend and permit the forms to take the desired position.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when theconveyor I moves a form I0 along a rail I5, the form rotates or rolls onthe rail; that when the form reaches a point adjacent the near end of adipping tank I6 the inwardly bent end of the pin 8 associated with thatform will engage under guides I1 and, as the conveyor continues itsforward movement, the form I0 will be pulled down into the tank andbrought to a vertical or substantially vertical position depending onthe disposition of the guide I'I; that the form will engage and roll onrail I5d if one is present; that as the form approaches the far end ofthe tank the upwardly inclined part I5c of rail I5 will lift the formout of the tank after which the inwardly bent hook on pin 8 will slideout from under guides I1 and permit the form to assume a positiondetermined by rail I5 and slide 20.

It will be understood from the foregoing specication that the presentinvention permits the `forwardly traveling forms to be moved into aplurality of diiferent positions without the use of any hinges or thelike which may be the source of annoyance, maintenance, expense and mayhave a tendency to bring foreign material into the solutions in thedipping tanks; and that the present invention affords simple,inexpensive apparatus of new `and improved form which does not possessthese disadvantages and which constitutes a new combination of elements.

Having thus described the present invention so that others skilled inthe art will be able to understand and practice the same, I state thatwhat I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyor, aexible member attached at one end thereto and normally projectinglaterally therefrom, a form carrier non-rotatably attached to the otherend of said member, a form rotatable on said carrier, and meanscooperating with said iiexible member to flex the latter as it is movedby the conveyor and thereby to vary the angularity of the form.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyor, aflexible member attached at one end thereto and normally projectinglaterally therefrom, a form carrier non-rotatably attached to the otherend of said member, a dipping form rotatable on said carrier, and meanscooperating with said member to flex it and thereby vary the angularityof the form, said means including a pressure member engaging saidcarrier between its ends and an abutment engaging said form.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyor, aflexible member attached thereto and normally projecting therefrom, aform carrier non-rotatably attached to said member, a dipping formrotatable on said carrier, and means for varying the angularity of theform, said means including a fixed guide and a guide follower attachedto said flexible member.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyor, aflexible member secured thereto, a form carrier non-rotatably secured tosaid member, a form rotatably mounted on said carrier, a rail engageablewith the form, a guard, and a guard follower disposed near said form andengageable with said guard, the guard being bent to flex the flexiblemember and thereby vary the angularity of the form when the conveyor ismoved. l

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyor, abendable member secured at one end to said conveyor, a form carriernonrotatably secured to the other end of said member, a form rotatableon said carrier, a rail engageable with said form, and means engageablewith said bendable member between its ends for exerting bending pressureon the latter and pressing said form against said rail.

6. Apparatus ofthe class described comprising an endless conveyor, meansto support said conveyor, flexible arms secured to and normallyprojecting laterally from said conveyor, form mountings non-rotatablysecured to said arms, forms rotatably mounted on said mountings, railsbeneath and engageable with said forms, slides disposed above andengageable with said arms between their ends for exerting bendingpressure thereon, bent guides below said arms, and guide followersconnected to said arms near said forms and engageable with said guides.

- EDWARD S. KILLIAN.

